


He Will Never Know

by insanityinside



Category: Dororo (Anime 2019)
Genre: Gen, Hugs, Sort Of, sad but sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-05-02 07:16:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19194256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insanityinside/pseuds/insanityinside
Summary: Sometimes Dororo needs a hug, but showing weakness is not an option.





	He Will Never Know

**Author's Note:**

> Just a cute little scene. I wasn't even sure if I want to post it, but since this week's regularly scheduled dose of heartbreak was more intense than usual, I figured the fandom will appreciate it.

Dororo awoke from an unpleasant dream. He didn’t remember all the details, but it had left him feeling small and alone in a big and dangerous world. There had been a time when, on nights like this, he would cuddle with his Mama or Papa, with someone who was bigger, stronger and, most importantly, always there for him. That had been so long ago. Sometimes it seemed like forever, even though, logically, it couldn’t have been more than three or four years. Three or four years ago Papa had died, and, not much later, Mama had, too.

Ever since then, he’d been on his own. He’d survived on whatever he could beg, steal or, rarely, earn through honest work. Of course, work was hard to come by for a child his age and, more often than not, extremely underpaid. Sooner or later he’d generally ended up swindling the hell out of his employer and moving on to the next town. It was only fair, really, what with the way they treated him. It was not a time to be soft.  He’d had to learn to be strong. Showing weakness was not an option. So he hadn’t. It’s just that he’d just always wished there was someone who could tell him he was doing a good job.

And then he’d met his Bro. Bro was older than him, sure. He was bigger and stronger, and he could kick any monster’s butt, but, back then, he had been totally helpless in so many ways. Honestly, whenever they encountered a problem that couldn’t be solved with a sword, it was Dororo’s turn to be the adult. So, of course, he had to be strong.

Back then, they couldn’t just talk to each other. Bro had apparently somehow learnt to write, at least a few characters, possibly enough to get a simple message across, but writing just wasn’t a great way for a blind guy and an illiterate child to communicate. In those days, without ears or a voice, hugs had been pretty much Bro’s default way of making friendly contact, but Dororo had tried to avoid them every time, no matter how much he wanted one. He couldn’t show weakness.

And it certainly wasn’t an option now. Now it was more unthinkable than ever! Now that Bro could hear and understand and talk, in short, fragmented sentences, but well enough to be understood. He was learning more and more every day about this harsh world in which they lived. Well, surely now he understood that too, didn’t he? That in this world you had to be strong. This was not a problem for him, of course. He was a freaking demon hunter! But that made Dororo a demon hunter’s sidekick, and that’s not a job for a whiny kid who cries because he had a bad dream. Surely, Bro understood that too. And so Dororo couldn’t show any signs of weakness.

Dawn was still a few hours away. The night was getting chilly, and Dororo tried to convince himself that this was the only reason why he was shivering. It had absolutely nothing to do with being small and weak and alone. Well, not quite alone. Bro was right there. He was lying on his back, with his arms spread out at an angle from his body. His eyes were only half-closed, but his slow deep breathing made it clear that he was asleep. But what was Dororo supposed to do? Should he snuggle up to him, like he had done with Mama when he was little? Wake him up and tell him he’s had a bad dream? He didn’t do that sort of thing anymore! But... What if he didn't have to wake him up?

Quietly, Dororo crawled up to Hyakkimaru. He hesitated for a moment when one of the older boy’s hands twitched slightly in his sleep. No. There’s no way he could feel that, right? Holding his breath, he cautiously poked the wooden arm with one finger. No reaction. Obviously. So Dororo reached out for Hyakkimaru’s hand and gently grasped it in his own.

It felt almost nothing like a real hand. The wooden fingers were not much warmer than the cool night air around them and had none of the reassuring softness of a living body. But it was his Bro’s hand and it reminded Dororo that in this cold dark night, in this big dangerous world, there was someone who was there for him. There. He was feeling a little better already. He would just stay like this for a few more minutes, until he’s ready to go back to sleep. And Bro would never even know about it.

 

* * *

 

When Hyakkimaru woke up the next morning, he couldn’t move his left arm. Something was weighing it down, pinning it to the ground. For a moment he was alarmed by this. But... there was something familiar about the silght warmth he could feel on that side of his body. He turned his head, without even opening his eyes. It made no difference to one who saw only what others did not. And, sure enough, there was the small bright shape of Dororo wrapped around his arm, sleeping more soundly than ever before. Hyakkimaru couldn’t sleep any more. His stomach was telling him that it was almost time for breakfast. But waking the sleeping child right now, was simply not an option. Getting up would have to wait.


End file.
